Life sciences
The life science industry is an international and complex environment. Our life-science team works with and for many players in life sciences, biotech and medtec. We work for a varied mix of clients, from investors to start-ups, from local companies to multinationals and for various public and semi-public institutions including academic hospitals. Apart from the medical field we work for various clients in ‘white’ (industrial) and ‘green’ (agricultural) biotech. As a versatile team, we have financing specialists to advise on private equity and venture capital financing and we have intellectual-property specialists with broad experience in drafting (international) cooperation and licensing contracts, taking action against infringement and solving disputes in complex R&D environments.
We have broad experience in assisting our clients in both contentious and non-contentious matters. We understand risks and can resolve disputes throughout the lifecycle of life science products. Because of this we are able to help our clients deal with issues relating to research and development, compliance and liability claims against established products.
Kennedy Van der Laan is the Dutch member of Biolegis (the pan-European network of independent law firms with a focus on Life Sciences).
When expertise of other jurisdictions is required, we have access to over 150 law firms in 100 jurisdictions across the globe.
Please get in touch with Maarten Schut if you require our assistance.
Market recognition
The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - Healthcare & Life Sciences - Ranked
Jointly led by healthcare expert Fenna van Dijk and life sciences specialist Maarten Schut, Kennedy Van der Laan's team handles the full breadth of mandates across the healthcare and life sciences segments. Combining a corporate background with a focus on healthcare, Van Dijk advises on market entry, licenses, clinical research, PPPs and drafting contracts with medical devices companies; she played a key role in the vaccine strategy concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. IP expert Schut advises multinational companies including Nutreco and Syngenta and not-for-profit institutions on conflicts relating to R&D and licensing. With the addition of Joran Spauwen, the practice has gained a specialist in IP-focused transactions in the advanced technologies sector, assisting healthcare service providers with medical devices regulation and negotiating contracts with AI suppliers. He also links the M&A practice to the healthcare and life sciences practice, focusing on innovative companies investing in the health tech industry. Counsel Sophie Van Loon specialises in contract drafting, advisory work and litigation within the life sciences field and associate Eline Lam focuses on corporate, healthcare and regulatory law.
Practice heads: Fenna van Dijk; Maarten Schut; Joran Spauwen
Leading Individuals
Other Key lawyers
Testimonials
- The firm has a good life sciences non-contentious practice with good support for the intellectual property aspects of transactions.’
- ‘Maarten Schut is easy to deal with and good at focusing on the key issues.’
- ‘The webinars on new legislation and dilemmas are extremely informative and easy to follow for laymen and legal experts.’
- ‘The team consists of outstanding lawyers with a practical approach. The firm is our trusted partner for all sorts of health-related legal issues.’
- ‘Experts in tender management’
- ‘The professionality of Kennedy van der Laan is very high, the adequacy and speed in their answers suits my demands’
- ‘Good and nice working relationship with M. Schut. Very knowledgeable, has the ability to see the whole picture and at the same time see the devil in the detail. Good communication and negotiation skills, very nice to work with.’
- ‘Fenna van Dijk and Eline Lam are not only very involved, but also accurate and reliable and think ahead in solving problems. They see not only the legal obstacles, but also the solutions and possibilities.’
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 - Healthcare & Life Sciences - Ranked
The team at Kennedy Van der Laan is ‘knowledgeable, practical in its approach, pleasant to deal with and delivers a high-quality product’. It is well known in the market for advising clients on corporate, governance, compliance, competition and financing matters. Fenna van Dijk co-heads the practice with over two decades of experience in commercial work; Maarten Schut also heads the team and is recommended for IP. Joran Spauwen is a new election to the partnership.
Practice head(s): Fenna van Dijk; Maarten Schut
Other key lawyers: Sophie van Loon; Joran Spauwen
Testimonials
- ‘The team switches quickly and works well together’.
- ‘The team has various specialists, so that the right advisor is available for every question’.
- ‘Communication is clear and fast’.